I have had a "something's burning" smell off and on over the past seven years.

Recently, it started up again about a week ago. Normally I would use Vicks VapoRub to cover the smell, but last night, I didn't have the Vicks, so I pulled up my t-shirt, covered my nose and breathe through my shirt for about a minute. After removing my shirt from covering my nose, I didn't have the smell for about an hour. I did notice that while I had my nose covered with my shirt, breathing through my shirt, I did not experience the burning smell.

I have read that this is a neurological problem, but if that is true, then wouldn’t I still smell the burning smell even while breathing through my shirt?

I know for certain it is not a smell in the room or the house. About two years ago, I purchased a Sanyo ABC-VW24 Air Washer Air Purification System with Electrolyzed Water Technology. It runs 24-hours a day. If an odor or unclean air is in the room, the clean air indicator turns from green to red. The air purifier is so sensitive to odors, that when I walk in the room with a fresh cup of coffee and close the door, the clean air indicator immediately goes from green to red.

I also read somewhere that the burning smell happens when dryer sheets are used during your clothes drying cycle. The t-shirt I covered my nose with was dried in a cycle using a dryer sheet. So for me, the dryer sheet is not the cause of the burning smell.

I am so confused. So now, when the smell comes, I use my shirt or a handkerchief or tissue to breathe through.

I wish I had the answer and the cure.

I too have smells that are not real. Well they are real to me but it took me along time to realize I was the only one smelling these things. This happens with sounds too and visual problems. I have been afraid to mention any of these things to my doctor in fear of being locked in the psych ward.
I agree with Mark's advise on the Vicks vaporub. I use this often. What weird things we all have to go through with this problem.
As far as the meditation, start simple just by focusing on breathing in and out. One, two, in, out and you will eventually quiet all the racing thoughts. You can get a lot of good books from the library to help teach you this skill. I hear what you are saying I was resistant to this idea also. It has been the thing to help me most though.
Do you think you have chronic pain? I know you have migraines often but are you in constant pain? I have both and have had to go to a pain specialist. I take MS Contin for pain twice a day and it has improved my quality of life much. I am thinking you might have chronic pain as well.
At least we know that we are not the only ones having these problems.
Brain

I get the burning smell sometimes too... during the day its not too bad, I will sometimes wander around and investigate and just make sure nothing is burning if I'm here alone. If someone else is home, I might just ask "do you smell something burning?"... no one ever does.

The only time is causes a problem is at night... for a while I was waking up every night, a couple times a night, thinking the house was on fire from the smell... after installing a few more smoke detectors and making sure all the batteries were brand new, I started using Blistex (in the tube) at night on my lips and under my nose and that seems to help.

Similar to the vicks, but it is good to keep lips moisturized and if you ever have a cold and get red under your nose, it heals it up right away and takes the "ouch" out of it. The Blistex product has a strong smell to it like Vicks, so I guess that's why it works the same way.

Also, during the day if the burning smell is really irritating me, using strong mouth wash will make it go away for a while.

Starr